Something is happening in American family life that sounds trivial until you think about it for a second: grandparents are choosing their own names. Not their birth names, not what their parents called them, but the names their grandchildren will say out loud for the rest of their lives. And the options have expanded well beyond anything earlier generations would have imagined.
Not long ago, there was essentially a short menu. You picked from Grandma or Grandpa, maybe Nana or Grammy if you were feeling informal, and that was roughly it. Today, a woman finding out she’s about to become a grandmother might spend genuine deliberation on whether she’s a Gigi, a Mimi, a Lola, or perhaps a Glamma. Her partner might weigh Boppa against G-Pop against the classic Papa. It’s become, in some households, a full family conversation.
This shift didn’t happen overnight, and it’s about more than vanity. The names we call our grandparents are quietly revealing something real about how family roles are changing, how identity is continuing well past midlife, and how the word “old” is being renegotiated in real time.
Where “Grandma” and “Grandpa” Actually Came From
Before getting to what’s trending now, it helps to know where the standards originated. The terms “Grandma” and “Grandpa” are shortened forms of “grandmother” and “grandfather,” which come from Latin roots, grandis meaning “great” or “large,” and mater or pater for mother and father. According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, “Grandpa” dates to 1814 as a shortening of “grandpappa,” itself a childish or familiar form recorded as early as 1753, with “Grandpop” appearing by 1860 and “Grandpappy” by 1853.
The word “grandmother” entered English in the early 15th century, modeled on the French grand-mère, replacing the earlier “grandame” used around 1200. Informal variations like Granny and Granddad developed as natural affectionate diminutives over the centuries. “Granny” likely emerged as a variation on “grandma,” with Scottish and Northern English influence shaping its sound.
For most of recorded English history, the pool of options stayed relatively shallow: grandmother, grandma, granny, nan, nana. The explosion of alternatives is genuinely a modern development, driven by a combination of cultural factors that arrived roughly all at once.
Why the Naming Revolution Started When It Did
The generation now entering grandparenthood in large numbers is the Baby Boomers, and they’ve approached this milestone the same way they’ve approached every other life stage: on their own terms. Being called “Grandma” and “Grandpa?” Maybe not for everybody. For many of today’s active grandparents, who feel anything but old and stodgy, the terms carry the decidedly unhip whiff of a more sedentary era.
Clinical psychologist Dr. Ellen J. Klausner, who focuses on the psychological issues of older adults, has noted that many Baby Boomers have a hard time reconciling their vibrant, active selves with traditional names. “They think of themselves as organizing and running marathons and associate those traditional monikers with a more sedentary lifestyle, the older relative in a rocking chair, that is not their own.”
There’s also a practical dimension. Increased longevity means there may still be great-grandparents alive. Coupled with a greater incidence of step and blended families, names have to differentiate between generations and different extended families. When a child has four grandparents and two step-grandparents, all being called “Grandma” or “Grandpa,” it creates obvious logistical chaos. Distinct names solve a real problem.
Grandparent names can originate from mispronunciations, locations, the need for differentiation, traditions, ethnic backgrounds, creative responses to family conflicts, and a multitude of other reasons. Sometimes the best names emerge entirely by accident. A toddler’s mispronunciation of “Grandma” might become “Mimi,” or a grandfather with a love of gardening might end up “Grampy Green.”
Who Actually Decides the Name?
This is where the data gets genuinely interesting, because the process is far less organized than most people assume. A 2023 Chicco survey of 700 current grandparents found that 38.41% of grandparents choose their own grandparent name themselves, while nearly 30% let their grandchildren decide. Parents designate approximately 23% of grandparent nicknames, and 8.68% of grandparents have no idea how their grandparent name came to be.
That last figure might be the most charming of all. Nearly one in ten grandparents ends up with a name and genuinely can’t trace its origin, which tells you something about how organically these things take root. A name lands, the grandchildren run with it, and suddenly it’s just what you’re called.
Blended families often need creative solutions. You might use combinations like “Grandma Sarah” and “Grandma Jane,” or choose completely different styles, perhaps “Nana” and “Grammy.” Step-grandparents might choose unique names that differentiate their special role. The goal is to ensure each grandparent feels valued while avoiding confusion for the children.
The Most Popular Grandparent Nicknames Right Now
So what’s actually winning out across the country? The data from multiple large surveys point toward a clear picture, with some regional variation that’s worth knowing.
A 2024 Preply survey of 1,500 Americans found “Nana” and “Papa” are the most popular alternative nicknames for grandma and grandpa in the U.S., with “Nana” leading in 12 states, particularly in New England and the Midwest. This aligns closely with earlier large-scale research. A 2022 Coventry Direct survey of over 5,000 Americans found “Nana” is the most common non-traditional nickname for grandmothers in 32 states nationwide.
The top ten alternative grandmother nicknames nationally, according to that same Coventry Direct survey, are: Nana, Grammy, Gram, Granny, Nanny, Mamaw, Mawmaw, Mimi, Memaw, and Abuela/Abuelita. On the grandfather side, “Papa” leads the list of alternative grandfather nicknames nationally, followed by Pop/Pop-Pop, Pawpaw, Granddad, Papaw, Grampy, Poppy, Grandfather, Abuelo/Abuelito, and Gramps.
Regional patterns are sharp enough to feel almost like a different country. In the same Chicco survey of 2,500 Americans, “Nana” leads in 21 states across the Midwest, Northeast, and West, while “Granny” dominates in 11 states, predominantly in the South. Certain names are almost geographically coded: in Iowa, “Grand Mama” is the most common nickname for grandma; Oma leads in New Mexico; Mamaw tops Ohio, Indiana, and Alabama; and Abuela wins Texas, Arizona, California, and Florida.
Cultural heritage plays a significant role in all of this. Nonna and Nonno are rooted in the Latin nonnus, meaning tutor or elder, and are used by Italian families and those of Italian descent, while Oma and Opa are affectionate shortened forms widely used among German-speaking families and in parts of the U.S. with German heritage. Bubbe and Zayde, used in Jewish communities, come from Eastern European languages and traditions. “Bubbe” (pronounced “buh-bee”) and “Zayde” (“zay-dee”) are deeply affectionate terms.
The New Wave: Trendy Grandparent Names Modern Families Are Using
Beyond the traditional alternatives, a newer generation of grandparent nicknames has emerged, and these are the ones prompting the most conversation. If you’ve wondered what are modern nicknames for grandparents feel like that are fresh without being forced, this is where the real creativity lives.
For grandmothers, the fastest-growing modern names are Gigi, Mimi, Glamma, Lola, and Bebe, reflecting a cultural shift in which grandmothers are choosing names that feel personal and contemporary rather than defaulting to traditional titles. Gigi is currently one of the trendiest grandmother names in America, easy for toddlers to say and sophisticated enough for everyone else. Glamma, a hybrid of “glamorous” and “grandma,” is a popular choice today, with other sassy options including word names like Queenie, Diva, Sugar, or even Sassy itself.
Lola, the Filipino word for grandmother, has crossed cultural lines to become a chic, playful choice for grandmothers of all backgrounds. Bebe is French-inspired and naturally sweet, easy for young children to say, and grows beautifully with the relationship. Other names gaining ground include Lolli, Honey, Noni, Coco, and the melodic double-sound names, Mimi, Gigi, and Lala, which are popular precisely because repeating sounds make them easy for young babies to say.
For grandfathers, the trendy grandparent names for new grandparents skew toward the casual and cool rather than the glamorous. Trendy nicknames for grandpa include Poppy, Pops, Papi, G-Pa, and Grandude. Boppa is a fun, bouncy grandpa name that likely comes from toddler mispronunciations and has grown in popularity in the U.S. and Canada for its cheerful sound and memorability, perfect for a grandfather with a playful personality. Others leaning into the unconventional are choosing names like G-Pop, Bear, Captain, Grumps, or Granddude, ideal for the totally cool grandpa who wants something that signals his personality from the first syllable.
Preply also analyzed up-and-coming nicknames in the U.S. and found that Gigi, Mimi, Gran, Bibi, and Momo are all on the rise. The trend toward names with repeating syllables isn’t accidental. Linguistically, these double-sound structures are among the first patterns human infants can produce, which explains why they stick.
What Modern Grandparents Actually Want to Be Called
The question of what modern grandparents want to be called has a layered answer, and it goes beyond any list. The data suggests that the name is increasingly seen as an extension of identity rather than a role designation.
Today, many grandparents choose their own nicknames, sometimes to avoid sounding “old” or to reflect a unique family identity, with newer creative names often including Mimi, Gigi, Noni, and Lala for grandmothers. Names like Mimi, Gigi, Nonna, Yaya, Lovey, Mia, and Glam-ma signal that grandmothers are redefining their roles and identities, moving from traditional titles to more personal and modern alternatives.
There’s also a practical tip buried in all of this for anyone currently navigating the choice: little ones struggle with complex sounds, so repetitive, simple names like Nana, Yaya, or Pop-Pop tend to stick. The names that get vetoed by a toddler’s tongue rarely survive long anyway.
The bond that the name represents, though, runs genuinely deep. The same 2024 Preply survey found that in 34 out of 50 states, respondents said they’d rather spend time with their grandparents than their parents, and 49% said they would confide in their grandparents over their parents. The average American sees at least one grandparent approximately 27 times per year, and about 45% speak to their grandparents on the phone at least monthly. Whatever you call them, the relationship is very much alive, a connection that research shows shapes grandchildren’s emotional development in lasting ways.
What Unique Names for Grandparents Besides Grandma and Grandpa Are People Choosing?
For anyone looking beyond the familiar options, the range of what unique grandparent names look like in practice is broader than most people realize. Here is a current list of popular, trending, and unique grandparent nicknames modern families are choosing across the U.S.:
Grandmother nicknames: Nana, Grammy, Mimi, Gigi, Glamma, Lola, Nonna, Abuela, Oma, Yiayia (Greek for grandmother), Bubbe (Yiddish), Granny, Gran, Nanny, Mamaw, Mawmaw, Memaw, Lovey, Honey, Bebe, Coco, Queenie, Lolli, Bibi, Momo, Noni, LaLa, and Tutu (Hawaiian for grandparent).
Grandfather nicknames: Papa, Pop-Pop, Pops, Grampy, Gramps, Nonno, Abuelo, Opa, Papaw, Pawpaw, Granddad, Poppy, Boppa, G-Pa, G-Pop, Grandude, Papi, Lolo (Filipino), Bear, Captain, Skipper, and Ace.
For those who like a modern grandma name with repeating sounds, options like Gigi, Mimi, or Zozo offer a playful, easy-to-say quality that toddlers naturally gravitate toward. On the grandfather side, G-Pop works as a modern twist for grandfathers who embrace current trends, while Grampster combines “Grandpa” and “Hipster” for the stylish elder, and Grampy remains a friendly, approachable variation that still sounds masculine.
The Name Is Just the Beginning
There’s something genuinely moving about the fact that this small decision, what a child will call you for the rest of your life, has become its own cultural moment. It reflects a generation that refuses to disappear quietly into a predefined role, and it reflects families that are more varied, more blended, and more multicultural than any previous American era.
If you’re about to become a grandparent and you’re still figuring out what cool grandparent nicknames modern families are using, the honest answer is: anything that feels like you. The research shows that the most successful names are either simple enough for a toddler to say, or personal enough that the whole family immediately gets it. The names and the stories behind them are as varied as every family. Each and every one of these unique names given to grandparents will have a story behind it, which adds to its importance.
What the data doesn’t capture, but what anyone who has ever had a grandparent knows intuitively, is that the name matters far less than what gets said when a small voice calls it out across a room. Whether that voice says Nana or Glamma, Papa or Grandude, what it really means is the same thing it has always meant.
Finding the Name That Fits Your Family
If you’re in the middle of this decision right now, a few practical patterns emerge from the data worth keeping in mind. First, test the name out loud with the actual children who will be using it. A name that sounds elegant in a group chat can become a genuine tongue-twister for a two-year-old, and the names that survive long-term are almost always the ones small mouths can manage from the start. Double-syllable names like Mimi, Gigi, Nana, and Papa have a built-in advantage here that explains their staying power across decades of data.
Second, think about the full landscape of grandparents in the child’s life before committing. If there are four grandparents and possibly step-grandparents in the picture, it helps enormously to coordinate early. Names that are too similar create confusion that persists for years, while a set of clearly distinct names, even just Nana versus Grammy or Papa versus Pop-Pop, gives children an immediate, intuitive way to know exactly who they’re talking about. A brief family conversation before the first grandchild arrives is worth far more than trying to rebrand later.
Third, and perhaps most importantly, don’t overthink the prestige of any particular name. The most beloved grandparent nicknames in family history are rarely the ones that sounded coolest in advance. They are the ones that got repeated ten thousand times in moments of scraped knees, holiday dinners, late-night phone calls, and front-porch afternoons. Whatever name you land on, it will mean exactly what you make it mean, and that work starts the moment a small voice first says it out loud.
A.I. Disclaimer: This article was created with AI assistance and edited by a human for accuracy and clarity.